Gov. Newsom to kick off summer tour campaigning for Democratic candidates in California and across the country
IT’S BEEN THREE WEEKS SINCE GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM ANNOUNCED THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE HAS BEEN INVESTIGATING HIM AND HIS WIFE. THE GOVERNOR SAID INVESTIGATORS CONTACTED ABOUT A DOZEN FAMILY, FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT SOURCES HAVE SAID THERE ARE MULTIPLE INVESTIGATIONS UNDERWAY INVOLVING PEOPLE ASSOCIATED WITH THE GOVERNOR. OF COURSE, OUR POLITICAL DIRECTOR, ASHLEY ZAVALA, HAS BEEN DIGGING INTO THIS. FOLLOWING UP ON THIS. SO WHAT ARE YOU HEARING, ASHLEY? AGAIN, IT’S BEEN THREE WEEKS. AS OF TODAY. NEITHER THE GOVERNOR NOR FIRST PARTNER HAVE BEEN SERVED. SUBPOENAS. ALSO, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN CONTACTED FOR INTERVIEWS BY FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS. ALL OF THIS, ACCORDING TO THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE TODAY. NOW, AT THIS POINT, WE’RE GETTING RADIO SILENCE FROM THE ORGANIZATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE NEWSOM’S. NOW, JUST TO RECAP AGAIN, THREE WEEKS AGO, THE GOVERNOR SAID THAT HE AND HIS WIFE WERE UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE LAST MONTH SAID THEY BELIEVED FEDERAL AUTHORITIES SUBPOENAED THE BANKS USED BY ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES. THE GOVERNOR AND HIS WIFE OVERSEE. LAST MONTH, LAW ENFORCEMENT SOURCES UNAUTHORIZED TO SPEAK PUBLICLY ABOUT THIS TOLD US THERE ARE MULTIPLE INVESTIGATIONS, ONE RELATED TO THE TAX ACTIVITY INVOLVING SIEBEL NEWSOM’S NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. ANOTHER IS APPARENTLY RELATED TO STAFF IN THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE, INCLUDING NEWSOM’S EX-CHIEF OF STAFF, DANA WILLIAMSON. THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ISN’T COMMENTING ON ANY OF THIS. SO OVER THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS, I’VE REACHED OUT REPEATEDLY TO THE FIRST PARTNERS NONPROFITS TO SEE IF THEY’VE BEEN CONTACTED BY FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS. THAT INCLUDES THE REPRESENTATION PROJECT AND THE CALIFORNIA PARTNERS PROJECT. WE GOT NO RESPONSE. I ALSO REACHED OUT TO THE PROTOCOL FOUNDATION, WHICH RAISES MONEY FOR THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE TO TRAVEL AND DO OTHER ACTIVITIES. THE GOVERNOR DOES NOT WANT TAXPAYERS FUNDING. NO RESPONSE FROM THAT GROUP EITHER, CONSIDERING HE HAS SAID HE EXPECTS TO BE SUBPOENAED. FOR WEEKS, I HAVE BEEN REPEATEDLY ASKING IF THE NEWSOM’S HAVE HIRED THEIR OWN ATTORNEY YET. I’M STILL WAITING FOR THAT ANSWER AGAIN THREE WEEKS LATER. OKAY, SO NEWSOM’S CHIEF OF STAFF, DANA WILLIAMSON, HAS BEEN FACING FEDERAL CHARGES. OF COURSE, WE SAW HEADLINES LAST WEEK ABOUT ONE OF THE COCONSPIRATORS IN THIS CASE AGAINST HER, REPORTEDLY WORE A WIRE AND MAY BE INVOLVED IN THESE INVESTIGATIONS. THE PERSON WHO WORE THE WIRE. SO WHAT ARE YOU HEARING ABOUT ALL OF THAT? THAT COCONSPIRATOR. HER NAME IS ALEXIS PODESTA. SHE IS A SACRAMENTO BASED POLITICAL CONSULTANT. WE KNOW SHE COOPERATED WITH FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS BASED ON COURT RECORDS, SPECIFICALLY IN THE INVESTIGATION INTO NEWSOM’S CHIEF OF STAFF, DANA WILLIAMSON. NOW, NEWSOM’S OFFICE IS SAYING THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT THE ALLEGED USE OF A WIRE ON PODESTA IS IN ANY WAY CONNECTED TO THE GOVERNOR. NOW, I TEXTED WITH PODESTA’S ATTORNEY TODAY, BILL PORTANOVA. THIS AFTERNOON. WE SPOKE BRIEFLY. HE TOLD ME RIGHT NOW HE HAS NO COMMENT ON ANY OF THIS. SO THAT’S WHERE WE’RE AT. VERY INTERESTING.
Gov. Newsom to kick off summer tour campaigning for Democratic candidates in California and across the country
Updated: 10:28 AM PDT Jul 8, 2026
Gov. Gavin Newsom is gearing up for a summer tour across the state and country to fundraise and campaign for Democrats looking to pick up seats and take control of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate this upcoming election. | PREVIOUS COVERAGE ABOVE | It’s been three weeks since Gov. Newsom said he’s under investigation. Here’s what we knowNewsom, who has about five months left before he terms out as governor, will campaign in California and key battleground states to “protect democracy and voting rights, elect Democrats, flip seats, and end Donald Trump’s unchecked power,” according to his campaign. The trip comes almost a year after Gov. Newsom launched the effort to redraw California’s congressional district maps to try to unseat five of the nine Republicans that represent California in Congress, a push known as Proposition 50. The tour begins Thursday in Nevada. He’ll join the Nevada Democratic Party to rally volunteers and send canvassers across the Las Vegas metro area. In that state, Newsom is aiming to raise money for Democrats, including Attorney General Aaron Ford, who is running for governor against Republican incumbent Joe Lombardo. Newsom is also expected to meet with Congressman Steven Horsford and other state Democratic party leaders.A large part of the tour will focus on California later this summer. Newsom’s campaign said this cycle alone, he has raised more than $5.2 million for Democratic candidates and causes through his small-dollar email list. A single email from Newsom days ago raised more than $120,000 for three California Democratic candidates hoping to flip Republican seats through the state’s new Congressional district maps under Prop 50. Those candidates include Richard Pan in the Sacramento area, Marni von Wilpert in the San Diego area, and Randy Villegas in the Central Valley. Aside from Nevada and California, Newsom’s campaign has not said which other states are planned but indicated he also plans to head to the South later this summer. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel | Make KCRA a preferred news source in Google
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Gov. Gavin Newsom is gearing up for a summer tour across the state and country to fundraise and campaign for Democrats looking to pick up seats and take control of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate this upcoming election.
Newsom, who has about five months left before he terms out as governor, will campaign in California and key battleground states to “protect democracy and voting rights, elect Democrats, flip seats, and end Donald Trump’s unchecked power,” according to his campaign.
The trip comes almost a year after Gov. Newsom launched the effort to redraw California’s congressional district maps to try to unseat five of the nine Republicans that represent California in Congress, a push known as Proposition 50.
The tour begins later this week in Nevada. Newsom’s campaign has not specified exactly which day but said he’ll join the Nevada Democratic Party to rally volunteers and send canvassers across the Las Vegas metro area.
In that state, Newsom is aiming to raise money for Democrats, including Attorney General Aaron Ford, who is running for governor against Republican incumbent Joe Lombardo. Newsom is also expected to meet with Congressman Steven Horsford and other state Democratic party leaders.
A large part of the tour will focus on California later this summer. Newsom’s campaign said this cycle alone, he has raised more than $5.2 million for Democratic candidates and causes through his small-dollar email list.
A single email from Newsom days ago raised more than $120,000 for three California Democratic candidates hoping to flip Republican seats through the state’s new Congressional district maps under Prop 50. Those candidates include Richard Pan in the Sacramento area, Marni von Wilpert in the San Diego area, and Randy Villegas in the Central Valley.
Aside from Nevada and California, Newsom’s campaign has not said which other states are planned but indicated he also plans to head to the South later this summer.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel | Make KCRA a preferred news source in Google